The Vigilance To Be Free

Here we are in the U.S., about to celebrate another Independence Day, celebrating our freedom from the tyranny of a king. But we all know there are other tyrannies afoot.

Definitely, let's celebrate, but let's celebrate something even more hopeful: our ability to cultivate our own hearts and minds so that we can remember that we're not so much independent as inter-dependent and that when we remember to pay attention, we really might be able to find some way through this mess we're in.

Transcript

Hey,

Everyone,

This is Judy Cohen and this is Wake Up Call 307.

And it is July 1st,

Almost Independence Day here in the US.

We've been exploring the Dhammapada,

Which is this succinct and beloved set of teachings of classical mindfulness.

And so far,

We've looked at the first chapter,

The Dichotomies.

In its opening lines,

The Dichotomies reminds us that when we speak with a corrupted mind,

Suffering follows as the wagon wheel follows the hoof of an ox.

And when we speak with a peaceful mind,

Happiness follows like a never departing shadow.

It could also be speaking directly to us as lawyers in terms of helping us see what little importance most quarrels have when it recites that many do not realize that we here must die for those who realize this quarrels end.

And finally,

It takes a longer view,

Offering a kind of admonition on the one hand and a promise on the other with the lines,

One who does evil grieves in this life,

Grieves in the next,

Grieves in both worlds.

Seeing one's own defiled acts brings grief and affliction.

And one who makes merit rejoices in this life,

Rejoices in the next,

Rejoices in both worlds.

I think a few folks picked up on the optimism last week because I received some wonderful gifts.

I got a link to a Bob Marley recording.

Thank you.

And a comic that was exactly on point.

Thank you.

And all really contemporary takes on this ancient and kind of basic teaching,

Do good and rejoice,

Do bad things and feel their reverberations for a long time.

So the second chapter of the Dhammapada is called vigilance in one translation and heedfulness in another that I've looked at.

And the overall concept is,

Here's our 4th of July slide.

The overall concept is we really need to pay attention to what we're saying and doing.

And to be able to do that,

We really need to take good care of and cultivate our own minds and hearts.

So the Dalai Lama once said that everyone always says to follow your heart,

But don't do that or don't just do that because don't follow your untrained heart,

Right?

Train your heart and then you can follow it.

Being heedful or vigilant is about that.

It's about first taking the time,

Putting in the time to know our hearts and then to train our hearts.

So for example,

I know that my heart or mind,

Which is the same,

Tends toward grasping,

That I hold tight to things.

I worry about having what I need.

I worry about other people having what they need.

So that's good knowing that,

But it's not enough.

My task isn't just to know that,

But it's also to train my heart and mind to let go.

So to train it in the practice of generosity,

For example,

Which is one of the counterweights to grasping and worry and in self-compassion so that I don't get judgmental about this kalisa that I have.

And in the many other ways that there are that I can cultivate a kind and loving heart and mind.

But even that isn't enough.

I also need to practice well so that I understand my own heart and mind and I cultivate wholesome states of mind and then pay attention moment to moment.

And this is where our portable practice really kicks in.

Pay attention moment to moment,

Being vigilant and heedful,

Using portable mindfulness practice to see when this mind,

This heart is trending in a direction that's about to cause harm or has just done that when I wasn't looking or maybe when I was looking.

And then make a course correction as soon as I see it.

So the languaging of this second chapter of the Dhammapada is kind of intense.

It says vigilance is the path to the deathless.

Deference is the path to death.

The vigilant do not die.

The negligent are as if already dead.

So first a couple of definitions.

Deathless,

In classical mindfulness it refers to a state of complete freedom.

It's a state of heart and mind that is completely at peace and which cannot be battered by the vicissitudes of life.

So classically it means there's no rebirth but more practically maybe for us it means no longer being caught,

Which most of us otherwise are,

In this cycle of unkindness and correction,

Aggression and reparation.

And then death,

As in negligence is the path to death,

Refers to a state of suffering.

That cycle with which I'm very familiar,

Maybe you are too,

That I just named,

Of saying and doing things that are unkind,

However I might not ever want to do that or mean to do that,

And then correcting them.

Or having my aggression come up however I might not ever want it to or mean for it to,

And then having to make some kind of adjustment or reparation.

And we all,

We,

On this call,

Know better than anyone what negligence means.

So if we substitute freedom for deathless and suffering for death and something like failing in our duty of care for negligence,

Then the lines might read something like this.

Vigilance is the path to freedom.

Failing to take good care of our own hearts and minds is the path to suffering.

The vigilant are free.

The negligent are caught in a cycle of suffering.

And it's vigilance that puts us on this path because it puts us at choice.

So we watch carefully and then pretty much only then,

For me,

But we know our own hearts and minds.

We can take an honest look.

We have the courage to do that.

And then we can train them.

And then we can keep a close watch,

Moment to moment,

So that if we see unkindness popping up or aggression creeping in,

And I'm just using those two examples,

Yours might be completely different,

Then we can shift.

If we're negligent in this more or less,

I guess,

Basic task,

Right,

We're caught.

We maybe haven't taken the time to train our hearts.

We don't see our own states of mind clearly,

Or we haven't cultivated the courage to do that.

Maybe we don't see our impact.

And since we're not seeing any of that,

We can't pivot.

So here we are three days before the Independence Day of the U.

S.

,

Which marks the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

And although that moment was a proclamation of the freedom of the 13 American colonies to be self-governed rather than governed by a king,

It would be five long years of revolutionary war before the British surrendered and 12 before the U.

S.

Constitution,

Which proclaims this great experiment in forming a more perfect union,

Was ratified.

So it's been a long experiment and hopefully this democracy will survive,

But also very much hopefully it will change because despite the opening of the Constitution,

This is very much an imperfect union.

And maybe one of the reasons that it is so imperfect,

One of the reasons that it fails to ensure domestic tranquility for everyone and promote everyone's welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to everyone,

Is because we haven't been vigilant as a nation.

As a nation,

We haven't cultivated loving kindness.

We haven't been particularly compassionate.

We've kind of been negligent.

Now we've missed the fact,

The basic fact that we belong to one another and to the earth.

And until we start being more heedful of all of that,

More vigilant,

We can't really be free because until we're all free,

No one can be free.

So I was with the working group for Law and Meditation on Tuesday night.

All of us are lawyers and judges and law professors sitting together for almost two decades now.

And one friend said,

Speaking to racism,

But they could have also been speaking to our extraction economy,

To late stage capitalism,

To the patriarchy,

That our country has this collective disease.

And that although some of us,

Mostly white and privileged,

Might feel inoculated,

We're living in a long moment of non-vigilance,

Kind of a long,

Negligent moment.

And we have this incredible practice.

We have the ability to wake up right now,

To pay attention to when the mind and heart are aligned with good and when not,

And to choose kindness every time.

To remember our interconnection and that true independence from tyranny comes from knowing we belong not to a king and not even to a constitution,

But to one another and to the earth.

And I really think once we're vigilant more often and we can influence those around us to be vigilant and to abandon negligence,

Then by doing this,

We can ourselves and help others to point at a different kind of freedom,

A freedom that could really mean tranquility for everyone and everyone's welfare and liberty and freedom for all.

So let's sit.

And maybe today finding your seat.

Finding your posture.

Finding the breath.

Or finding another object for your meditation,

So that could be sound.

Could be the body.

And once your attention feels collected,

However much steadiness of attention is available,

To you this morning is perfect.

Then this inquiry of vigilance,

Heedfulness.

Where can you bring a little more attention?

A little more heedfulness.

Okay.

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